Effects of hypnotic alterations of perception on amplitude of
somatosensory event-related potentials were studied in 10 highly
hypnotizable subjects and 10 subjects with low hypnotizability. The highly
hypnotizable individuals showed significant decreases in amplitude of the
P100 and P300 waveform components during a hypnotic hallucination that
blocked perception of the stimulus. When hypnosis was used to intensify
attention to the stimulus, there was an increase in P100 amplitude. These
findings are consistent with observations that highly hypnotizable
individuals can reduce or eliminate pain by using purely cognitive methods
such as hypnosis. Together with data from the visual system, these results
suggest a neurophysiological basis for hypnotic sensory alteration.
Abstract Teaser